The race for the Thirteenth District of the Suffolk County Legislature (LD-13) is afoot and the two candidates vying for the open seat met on Tuesday at Fairfield in St. James for a debate.
The district is currently occupied by Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), who is term-limited. Trotta lost the June Republican Primary for Town Supervisor and is now running as a write-in candidate in an alliance with the Smithtown Democratic Committee.
The LD-13 race comes down to political newcomer Sal Formica (R-Commack) and Kings Park Board of Education Trustee Shala Pascucci (D-Kings Park), whose term expires June 2028.
Formica defeated Frank Black (R-Smithtown) in the June Primary by a decisive margin, while Pascucci faced no primary.
LD-13 comprises the northern half of Smithtown. Within Smithtown, the district encompasses St. James, Head of the Harbor, Nissequogue, Kings Park, San Remo, Fort Salonga, and parts of Smithtown hamlet and Commack. Within the Town of Huntington, the district contains parts of Commack.
Candidates were given three minutes each for opening and closing statements. Responses were kept to two minutes, rebuttals at one. Questions came from the moderation desk and the audience of a few dozen Fairfield residents. The debate was moderated by Fairfield at St. James Civic Association President Dan Ryan and Board Member Al Frazia.
Opening Statements
A coin toss determined who would kick off the debate, with Pascucci taking the first opening statement.
Pascucci introduced herself as a mother of two and present also was her husband, a detective sergeant in the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD).
“I have a master’s degree in social work, where I worked as a team leader and a program director. I’ve overseen budgets, staff of dozens of social workers, case workers, our workshops, and team teaching,” said Pasucci. “Along the way, I realized I had a passion for working with kids, so I switched gears and became a high school and middle school English teacher.”
Pascucci said that when she started her family, she spent more time at home, prompting her to start her own web design business. She started an advocacy education group and was then approached to run for Kings Park School Board. She was recently re-elected to a second term. She shared an anecdote of when her and her husband first moved to Smithtown from Queens, remarking on the “forest” of trees that surrounded their property.
“That’s why people from Queens move to Long Island, for the open space, but that open space is slowly eroding,” said Pascucci. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m running. Our communities are taking on more development than they can sustain. It’s not that I’m against development; I’m just for smart development, and I know that I’m not the only one that feels this way.”
Pascucci said she’s been holding “office hours” with prospective constituents at local establishments within the district to gauge their thoughts.
“It’s not about red versus blue or me versus you. It’s about me and you versus a problem,” said Pasucci. “There’s three things I’ve learned along the way and it’s the cornerstone of my campaign: listen to people, treat them with respect, and get things done.”
Sal Formica then delivered his opening statement. A thirty-six-year resident of Commack, Formica got his start in the banking industry, where he spent a decade rising through the ranks of Chase Manhattan Bank. His true dream, however, was to be a police officer. In 1990, he joined the NYPD and eventually became a second-grade detective. His precinct contained the United Nations and Formica was assigned to the Elite Emergency Services Unit, tasked with guarding high-profile dignitaries and even several U.S. presidents.
Formica shared a story of his then-young child who started choking. The fire department rescued his son and the next day, Formica says, the Commack F.D. was at his house with an application to join as a volunteer. Formica has since served thirty-two years in the Commack F.D., even serving as Chief. After his career in law enforcement, Formica opened Sal’s Ristorante, which was regarded as one of the best Italian restaurants in Smithtown. He owned and operated it as chef-owner for thirteen years.
“Politics has always been something that I’ve wanted to get into, not to be a politician, because I, quite frankly, don’t like politicians. I want to be an elected official who works for the constituents in my district,” said Formica. “It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re Republican, Democrat, what your affiliation is. You’re all taxpayers and we have to work for each and every one of you.”
Formica said that public safety, infrastructure, and open space preservation are the key aspects of his campaign. He hailed the current County administration’s prerogative in overhauling downtowns with sewers, including Kings Park and Smithtown’s Main Street.
Infrastructure
One resident asked about property taxes and potholes.
“County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) has put forth the biggest capital budget improvement for our roadways, and he’s been doing that all without piercing the tax cap,” said Formica. “I don’t think any party has the answer to how we make taxes go away or pay less in taxes. That would be basically a politician lying to you. My goal is to get you the most bang for your buck and stabilize what we’re paying for.”
Formica added that decreasing enrollment in the schools makes for consternation, as cost per pupil continues to increase with 70% of a property tax bill going to the local school district.
“If you have less of an enrollment, there should be no reason why your school tax is going up,” said Formica. “We have to look at each area and department to figure out how to maximize the tax revenue the County gets.”
Pasucci countered by saying that the schools “have nothing to do” with infrastructure, although she agreed with Formica that neither of them could promise ways to lower taxes.
“It doesn’t mean that I couldn’t find ways to make things more efficient and streamlined, which goes to helping lower taxes,” said Pascucci. “If the potholes were getting fixed, they’d be fixed, but they’re not, and the Town wants to keep developing. We’re developing on potholes that aren’t fixed. Why don’t we fix infrastructure first and then stop development? People are tripping outside the potholes in front of their own homes, but as a Legislator, I can support the Town.”
Political Vitriol
One question pertained to political vitriol and that such division has “never been higher.”
Pascucci said that as a school board member, she doesn’t know the affiliations of who she speaks with, but that she simply “talks to everyone.”
“I have just as many Republicans coming to me as Democrats,” said Pascucci of her “office hours.”
“You can’t get things done or listen to people but treat them disrespectfully; that’s not what this is about,” said Pasucci, adding her friend, a “MAGA, Trump-supporting Republican”, told her that Pascucci would be “so ‘f-ing’ good” as a Legislator.
Formica agreed with Pascucci’s sentiments, adding that much of the vitriol stems from the scene in Washington, but more or less subsides at the local level.
“Here in Suffolk, we don’t have as big of a gap as you folks may think. I think we’re watching too much media about what’s happening in Washington,” said Formica. “Suffolk County doesn’t subscribe to that method of thinking.”
Formica said that although the Legislature is divided 12R-6D, Executive Romaine works across the aisle and is a “unifier.”
“I want to be a piece in that puzzle,” said Formica.
Another question regarded gun violence, particularly a recent shooting in Minneapolis. The candidates were asked how they would work to protect the schools.
Formica said that he worked as a security guard for ten years in the Commack School District. Many of the security guards are active or retired police officers, corrections officers, or firemen.
“I’m not saying we need to sit with guns displayed on site, but omnipresence and being prepared before it happens is how you stop those shootings,” said Formica. “We live in a world today, whether you like it or not, that you should have some form of armed guards inside the schools.”
Pascucci agreed, but posed the question of where kids are getting access to such high-capacity weapons.
“How come these assault rifles aren’t outlawed? I’m not against guns full-stop, but we need background checks,” said Pascucci. “What have we done to change anything? It’s become so commonplace that they’re not even news stories anymore.”
She added that mental health is a large part of the issue.
Development
Much of the current campaign climate in Smithtown revolves around development. One resident raised the concern of Flowerfield being sold to a developer who, according to the resident, intends to build “assisted living facilities, a hotel, and an office building.” He asked how the rural roads – State Route 25A and Mill Pond Road – would be maintained.
Formica said that, to his latest knowledge, the proposal is “dead in the water.”
“I don’t deal in what-ifs or hypotheticals. I can only tell you that as of today, the project is dead in the water,” said Formica. “What’s tomorrow to bring? I don’t know. I have to respect the process.”
Pascucci disagreed, stating that the property was under contract and is being fought and that the property “probably looks like it’s going to get sold.”
“I’m not against development but it has to be smart and fit the character of the Town and roads,” said Pascucci, adding she read a 200-page impact review study for a proposal in Kings Park. She called the impact review study “inadequate.”
“I don’t talk in what-ifs because I like to anticipate the problems head of time. If you can anticipate, then you can plan,” said Pasucci.
Outmigration and Housing
A moderator posed the question of how the candidates would help stem the “brain drain” off Long Island, which contributes to the exodus that saw New York lost 2.4% of its residents between 2020 and 2023, with young adults “twice as likely” to leave than other age groups.
“It’s creating housing that our young people can afford,” said Pascucci, who criticized the Tanzi project in Kings Park as “luxury apartments.”
“We can build townhouses entry-level apartments but not on open spaces like Flowerfield or Bull Run Farm. We want to build them on abandoned spaces or maybe above other properties,” said Pascucci. “We need to utilize and reuse the space that we already have and make it affordable. It also has to be sustainable on resources.”
Formica agreed with Pascucci’s sentiments about affordable housing, especially for the younger population. He added that the Smithtown Council has a master plan in place when it comes to apartments.
“Some might not be so affordable, but these are folks who are building them on their private properties that they own,” said Formica. “The problem is that those apartments are not for some folks. At some point, I might not want to be a homeowner anymore, but I’m not moving into an ‘affordable’ house above a storefront. That’s just not my idea of enjoying my golden years.”
Formica said he’d be looking at something like Fairfield, but such developments shouldn’t change the “landscape of the community.”
“We do want to build up places that are not on the tax rolls at the moment, and that’s what is happening in Smithtown right now. There are two 55-and-older communities in Commack. The first one, 99 units, sold out immediately. Those folks then pass down their homes to their kids or sell it to another young couple who’s up-and-coming. We have to figure out a comfortable balance of catering to our young, our seniors, and our people who are right smack in the middle and have their kids already in school.”
Formica mentioned the Tanzi property, saying that it’s not under the Legislature’s jurisdiction, but he “commends” Tanzi for offering 10% of the stock to first responders at discounted rate.
Pascucci countered Formica’s point that not everyone will be living above “vape shops”, but that it’s “just an option.”
“It’s thinking outside the box and we don’t want to take up open space,” said Pascucci, adding that the Tanzi property’s discount still doesn’t make the luxury units affordable. She called for “smart housing”, tax abatements for starting renters/homeowners, and incentives for developers to build affordable housing.
Another resident raised the question of diverging prices and wages.
“It’s an ongoing problem, but the way to address it is with supply and demand,” said Formica. “A home doesn’t last on the market for more than five days and you see what these homes are selling for. As long as there’s buyers and we don’t increase the supply, it’s going to be crazy out there. You can’t fix that people are bidding $50,000 over asking price, not when supply is so low.”
Pasucci agreed with the supply and demand model, adding that increasing the housing stock should be done in a way that doesn’t exacerbate infrastructure and services.
“There’s no magic wand that can drive down market prices tomorrow. What we can do is to look at abandoned properties,” said Pascucci, adding a conversation she had with Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) that consisted on mixed-use zoning for residential units on top of commercial space.
Another resident proposed that vacant commercial lots surrendered to Amazon could be transitioned to increase the housing stock.
“We should reuse before building, but it’s not just saying that if a shop is closed it could be made into a development,” said Pascucci. “I don’t know if the community can withstand the congestion and traffic that a development will bring. It’s something to explore, but we should not develop right away.”
Formica called it a “two-headed monster. While Amazon is killing mom-and-pop businesses, the other end of the equation is where those dollars would otherwise be spent.
“Assuming that services, traffic, and infrastructure are aligned [on converting vacant commercial to a residential development], those dollars are not being spent locally. COVID also taught us that you don’t really need spaces to make money.”
Pascucci added that “red tape” precludes some from starting small businesses and that it should be made easier for businesses to come into Suffolk and thrive.
Formica countered that red tape isn’t the problem, but that many entry-level jobs are not meant to be careers.
“It’s a broken system,” said Formica, in that small businesses often cannot support workers with living wages, especially in hyper-expensive Suffolk.
The Stump Pond Dam and Harbor Road
A question was raised about whether or not the dam at Stump Pond in Blydenburgh Park should be reconstructed or let nature take its course.
Pascucci said she would have to weigh the consequences of either choice.
“I suspect that rebuilding the dam would be a smart thing to do, but again, I would need to research more fully and talk to people in the community to get a full picture,” said Pasucci.
Formica said that while “everyone loves wildlife,” the dam was “obviously there for a reason.”
“We have to investigate the pluses and minuses. It’s not as simple as saying that we’re in favor or not. I suspect that the pros are leaning towards rebuilding it,” said Formica.
Regarding Harbor Road, which was washed out along with the Mill Pond Dam last August, an ownership dispute continues to harangue the reconstruction.
“They’re waiting to go with the work, but nobody wants to take ownership of the road,” said Formica. “When I get into the Legislature, if it hasn’t been solved by then, I’m going to sit with the County Clerk. We have very good records. I can’t believe for the life of me, in the year we live in today, that nobody knows who owns that road.”
Pasucci echoed Formica’s comments, pledging to “dig and dig and dig”, because there “has to be records.”
“Someone needs to take ownership, whether that’s the Town, the County, or the State,” said Pasucci.
Hobbies
The final question of the debate was a break from the norm. The candidates were asked what they like to do in their spare time.
Pascucci mentioned soccer and softball, as well as photography, drawing, and designing websites. Her Fridays, however, are spent with a women’s sports league. She remarked on the advanced age of some of these players, but that their athletic prowess was nothing short of impressive.
“I can only hope to be playing like them when I’m in my 80s,” said Pascucci. “It’s my Friday salvation.”
Formica said that sports are a passion of his, but cooking is his biggest passion. When he opened his restaurant fifteen years ago, he took some cuisine from his grandparents’ native Sicily and Naples.
“I now cook not only for my family but my friends. We like to open a bottle of red wine and put a little Frank Sinatra on. That’s what keeps me going,” said Formica.
Closing Statements
Formica said he’s an “open book” and that he’s been a “community guy” his entire life.
“From day one when I stepped into Commack, I’ve always given back to the community – whether it was volunteering in little league, being in the fire service, the police department, or doubling down and going into hospitality to serve the community,” said Formica. “I’ve been solving problems for thirty-six years since I moved into Smithtown as a Commack resident.”
Pasucci said she enjoyed hearing questions and concerns from the residents, as that’s what “being a public servant is all about.”
“For me, it’s always three things: listen to people, treat them with respect, and get things done,” said Pascucci. “I’ve created a website, smithtowndevelopment.com., a place where you can look up all the development that’s happening around Smithtown. All the information is there. Our communities shouldn’t be an afterthought. It’s you and me working together; it’s not me versus you.”
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4.
